The IMS baseball team opened up district play Tuesday night in Pekin with a 4-0 win over English Valley. Dallas Nye started the game with some fireworks, belting a solo home run in the bottom of the first to put IMS up 1-0. Nye came up in the third and doubled that lead when he drove in Reggie Hostetler with an RBI single. That was more than IMS starter Payton Miller would need. Miller took a no hit bid into the fifth before a Cody Seaton lead off double broke it up.

IMS added some important insurance in the bottom half of the fifth when Hostetler scored for the second time on the night, this time on a Tyler Messer RBI ground out. Then Jacob Bruns came home to score on an error at third base to make the score 4-0. In the seventh the Bears got the first two batters on base but Miller slammed the door, finishing the game with back to back strikeouts.

Miller went the distance allowing just two hits and striking out eight total in the win. He talked after the game about his rhythm and strategy.

“My coach scouted out these guys really well and told me which guys to work through and which guys to work faster through otherwise they draw walks so I just went out there with a great attitude and thew strikes and I know that I have a great defense behind me to back me up,” Miller said.

Nye led IMS at the plate with two hits, two driven in and one run scored. Hostetler scored twice and had one hit. IMS is now 11-15 on the year and will match up with host school Pekin who was a 1-0 winner over Sigourney last night. That game will be played at Pekin on Thursday at 7PM.